Oregon official: texts show police-extremist collusion

[swag]

Source: Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A member of Portland’s city council said Thursday a newspaper’s report that the commander for the police rapid response team exchanged friendly text messages with a leader of far-right protests that have rocked the city confirms collusion exists between some police and right-wing extremists.

“I am not shocked, and I am not surprised at today’s reporting of Lt. Jeff Niiya’s collaboration with Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson over text to provide aid and support for their hate marches,” Councilwoman Jo Ann Hardesty said in a statement.

Willamette Week obtained text messages through a public records request between Niiya and Gibson. The texts purportedly show Niiya had a friendly rapport with Gibson, frequently discussing Gibson’s plans to demonstrate.

In one text reported by the newspaper, Niiya tells Gibson that he doesn’t see a need to arrest his assistant, Tusitala Toese, who often brawls with antifascist protesters, even if he has a warrant, unless Toese commits a new crime.

“Just make sure he doesn’t do anything which may draw our attention,” Niiya texted Gibson on Dec. 9, 2017, Willamette Week reported. “If he still has the warrant in the system (I don’t run you guys so I don’t personally know) the officers could arrest him. I don’t see a need to arrest on the warrant unless there is a reason.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/7f81fc29e1084b33abc5fbd712c89235?utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=APWestRegion

[pecosbob]

1. Sounds like a LEO engaging in a conspiracy to violate the law to me

Aiding and abetting a suspected criminal to avoid arrest for a legally obtained warrant.

[Stand and Fight]

2. Oregon (and Portland) have a long racist past. This does not surprise me one iota.

[swag]

7. Yes, this is true.

And while white supremacist visibility receded a bit in the early 90s, they were always here, and now they're out full-time, emboldened by the person in the White House.

[Stand and Fight]

11. Yep. And it extends down to northern CA and up to Washington and throughout Idaho.

I must say, it was a great disillusionment to realize this as a young black soldier stationed in the Pacific northwest. I even suspected some of my fellow soldiers trained with the militias up there.

[PBass]

3. Outrageous. This needs a DOJ investigation. (NT)

[quakerboy]

5. Under the current administration? Seems a waste of time

What this does need is a new mayor who ain't like the old mayor. Seeing as the current mayor has currently assigned himself the job of police commissioner overseeing this and many other issues, and then done absolutely nothing to change the actual on the ground situation.

After that what is needed is a wholesale revision of the rules governing police policy, disciplinary procedures, etc. Probably the ground up construction of a completely new department of actual "protect and serve" peace officers, to grow and eventually replace the current corrupt system.

[Hulk]

4. Can the son of a bitch immediately!!

exactly what this country doesn't need....police state colluding with the white supremacists. Can his ass right now!!

[quakerboy]

8. Cant

I mean, can, but then we'd end up rehiring him/paying him extra money/providing a promotion.

That's what we did with the cop who has a Nazi Fascination. Bring him back, back pay, discipline erased, and promotions.
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2014/07/portland_police_capt_mark_krug.html

Thats what we did with the cop who told his officers “If they are black, just shoot them." Took them a year to fire him, then they rescinded it and instead gave him a 6 figure settlement, and marked him as "retired".
https://www.theroot.com/portland-police-sergeant-to-cops-if-you-come-across-a-1832233738

I can only assume that Mayor Wheeler will be promoting this cop ASAP to keep him from having poor morale over being exposed in the press.

[Kind of Blue]

21. Really nice sentiment but too late, police and white supremacy go

hand-in-hand. This is what PoC have known since the establishment of policing - that it was designed to control minority populations at least as early as the 1700s. In fact, slave patrols and night watches shaped early policing https://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/brief-history-slavery-and-origins-american-policing.

And all those years later, In the 2006 bulletin, the FBI detailed the threat of white nationalists and skinheads infiltrating police in order to disrupt investigations against fellow members and recruit other supremacists. The bulletin was released during a period of scandal for many law enforcement agencies throughout the country, including a neo-Nazi gang formed by members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department who harassed black and Latino communities. Similar investigations revealed officers and entire agencies with hate group ties in Illinois, Ohio and Texas.

Much of the bulletin has been redacted, but in it, the FBI identified white supremacists in law enforcement as a concern, because of their access to both “restricted areas vulnerable to sabotage” and elected officials or people who could be seen as “potential targets for violence.” The memo also warned of “ghost skins,” hate group members who don’t overtly display their beliefs in order to “blend into society and covertly advance white supremacist causes.” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/fbi-white-supremacists-in-law-enforcement

[Hulk]

22. Gotta start somewhere.....it may be too late to prevent...but it's time to eliminate

I don't argue your point. We need to hold those in power accountable to move on this or it is only going to get worse. We can't afford another 100+ years of this injustice.

Once exposed and verified, they need to be taken out. I read that the few instances where they have been extracted from the forces ended up getting promotions, or settlements, etc....that needs to be addressed. Can't just keep sticking our heads in the sand or getting spanked when action is taken. It's past time to act on this. This is a main reason why our police forces are suffering for lack of support.

[swag]

6. More detailed reporting from Willamette Week

https://www.wweek.com/news/city/2019/02/14/portland-mayor-calls-for-investigation-of-police-after-ww-reports-text-messages-with-right-wing-organizer-read-all-the-texts-here/

[quakerboy]

10. The same Mayor Wheeler who has repeatedly lied about similar events

and consistently failed to do anything to reign the clear favoritism of PPD toward nazis from the day he was elected and immediately appointed himself police commissioner to today.

Empty words, at best.

[McKim]

9. I Feel Very Unsafe with Our Policepersons Colluding with Extremists

I feel very unsafe with our police colluding with Right Wing Extremists. This person should be fired. I could get my head beat in at the next demonstration!

[Initech]

12. Same. Our whole system is fucked right now.

When the police are the bad guys, who will police the police?

[SergeStorms]

13. We're past the point of "creeping fascism".

Fascism is in full gallop right now because of the Fascist in Chief squatting in the Oval Office. All politics are local, so they say, so the people of Portland must remove Niiya and purge the police force of all fascist sympathizers. This crap has to stop now before it spreads any further.

[Farmer-Rick]

14. So much for my plans to move to Oregon because it's more liberal than TN

My daughter lives in LA and there is no way I can afford to live there. I thought at least Oregon was liberal, affordable and closer. Damn, those racist and fascist seem to be everywhere in America.

[Hulk]

16. Left Portland after growing up there for 52+ years..changed a lot.

Last I heard they were quoting 3700 people moving there every month, and this has been going on for years now. The streets are choked, the freeways clogged and moving at 10-25 mph during 50% of the day time. The pleasant neighborhoods have been invaded and lost to gentrification and AirB&B investors. Rents and housing prices have gone up at least 50% in the last 5-10 years. No longer the pleasant big city secret. Now is playing catch-up with Seattle and San Fran, although granted is impossible to live in either of those two cities anymore.

If you own a home, you can survive. If you rent or plan to buy, you better be moving from SF, NYC, Seattle or some other pricey spot, or you’ll be shocked at the home costs today. Really sad. I can’t survive there any longer.

[mommymarine2003]

15. I live in the Portland area.

I live in the Portland area. Two years ago my husband and I drove to LA to participate in the Million Women March with some old college friends. It was an incredible experience and peaceful. We even spoke to several police officers along the way who were polite and friendly.

Since then we have participated in two parades in Portland, one for science and the other against guns. The atmosphere in Portland was totally different than LA. The marchers were peaceful and of all ages, but the police seemed to regard the marchers as bad people. We tried to just say Hi or thank the police for their hard work as we walked by, as Portland had had so many marches, and I am sure they were tired of working at these events. Many of the marchers were retirees like us; plus my husband is a former city manager who had police under his management, so we are not anti-police. The atmosphere felt dark and foreboding, and I just wanted it to end. I know that there were clashes later in the day with antifa,etc.

We don't plan on attending another march in Portland; and there have not been that many lately to attend anyway, mainly the Patriot Prayer people who come down from Washington State and bring in their type of followers and seem to hope for violence. If we ever march again, we feel it would be much safer driving 1000 miles and marching in LA.

[Hulk]

17. Anarchists have ruined Portland's reputation.

I’m a longtime resident, and both Portland and Seattle have been plagued by these bad elements. Seems the police have been unabl and/or unwilling to select those types to apprehend, and have instead just lumped us all together. Sad. Really foul management of a bad situation.

[Farmer-Rick]

19. I'm not so sure it is the Anarchist fault

It looks more like the right wing racist, misogynist, fascist groups that are protecting others like them from being brought in on valid warrants.

Seems like a bunch of white supremacist, Nazi wannabees are the ones causing the problems.

[lark]

18. Some of us here have been pointing out that recruiting white nationalist for police was a priority.

They are obviously colluding here and in Charlottesville the police were indistinguishable from the Nazi rioters. They let the assholes beat up innocent people and rampage all over the city, threatening a black church and only stepped in when the Nazis were actively trying to kill the protesters. Cops as pigs is a meme that is still accurate in far too many instances, including this one.

[swag]

20. A little more fleshed out

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/15/joey-gibson-portland-police-relationship-cooperation-text-messages?fbclid=IwAR3Rrgog4UVY2EH_6V0rrrkVUN4M3McR_Sui44i4UDa7pU1qOIWSQlVN3Qk

Niiya offered congratulations on Gibson’s plans run for Senate, expressed concern for the safety of his family, and wrote: “I want you to know you can trust me. Don’t want to burn that.”
Other messages appear to show the officer offering advice about police tactics.
On 23 December 2017, Niiya texted to Gibson: “Heads up just told 4-5 black Bloch [antifascists] heading your way. One carrying a flag. We will have officers nearby but you may want to think about moving soon if more come.”
Niiya also appears to advise Gibson about avoiding the arrest of group member Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, who has allegedly been involved in acts of violence in the city.
On 8 December 2017, discussing Toese’s presence at a rally at a time when he was the subject of an outstanding warrant, Niiya wrote: “Just make sure he doesn’t do anything which may draw our attention. If he still has the warrant in the system (I don’t run you guys so I don’t personally know) the officers could arrest him. I don’t see a need to arrest on the warrant unless there is a reason.”